There are many herbal remedies that can be used to treat diabetes mellitus, such as bitter melon, trichosanthis, fenugreek, cinnamon, antler velvet, and cumin.
Bitter melon is a vegetable. It is known to lower blood sugar levels in diabetics. Bitter melon has been found to increase insulin sensitivity. Studies suggest that Bitter Melon may play a role in controlling the production of insulin by the body, thus promoting blood sugar control.
Trichosanthis root (Tian Hua Fen) is a Chinese herbal medicine. This herbal is often used to relieve thirst by increasing stomach fluids. As we know that a patient with diabetes usually has the typical symptoms: drink water all the time but still feel thirsty and urinate all the time. According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), trichosanthis root has water-pumping properties. It pumps water, reverses the downwarding water flow (from stomach to urinary bladder) and sends it back to the stomach. Thus it relieves thirst, reduces urine output, and patient needs no water intake in large amount.
Fenugreek is another herb used in traditional Chinese medicine. It has been shown to be helpful in treating diabetes. Why fenugreek can help treat diabetes? According to traditional Chinese medicine, fenugreek is a warming herb. It targets kidney and urinary bladder, warms them up. When a patient has symptoms: drink water all the time but still feel thirsty and urinate all the time, TCM believes that it is likely the lower body organs (urinary bladder and kidneys) are “too cold” – there is no enough heat (“fire”) to evaporate the water and sends it back to the upper body, so even the patient drinks a lot of water, the water still “directly” goes out of body through urine output. Since fenugreek increases “fire” to the urinary bladder and kidneys. It is just like to heat a cooking pot from the bottom, the water is evaporated from the pot, the water steam is rising up and be sent back to the upper body, moisturizing the thirsty organs (stomach and lungs).
Fenugreek is just one of warming herbs in TCM, that can be used to “heat” the “pot” of the lower body.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, Cinnamon, antler velvet, and cumin all have kidney warming features. So they can help treat diabetes as well.
